The Linus Pauling Chair in Chemical Engineering

In 1997, Rosalie and Peter Johnson of Corvallis established the Linus Pauling Chair in Chemical Engineering to honor Oregon State University's most famous graduate. Peter Johnson, president and owner of Tekmax, Inc., a company which revolutionized battery manufacturing equipment, is a 1955 graduate of the College of Engineering.

The Johnsons have a long history of supporting OSU. They have made generous contributions to aid the construction of the CH2M HILL Alumni Center and the Joe Schulein Computer Laboratory, which was opened in 1995. In addition, they have supported the Home Farm School in Corvallis, as well as Good Samaritan Hospital and Ashbrook School.

At the time he and Rosalie made the gift for the Pauling Chair, Peter Johnson said, "Both Rosalie and I believe in the value of education. This is our way of investing in future students. I wanted to fund the Linus Pauling Chair because I feel I received a good, solid education at Oregon State, and Linus Pauling represents the scholarly quality I hope the department will continue to attract among its faculty."

The Pauling Chair in Chemical Engineering is one of five programs at Oregon State University named after the late Linus Pauling, a 1922 OSU graduate in chemical engineering and twice winner of the Nobel Prize. The other four are: the Linus Pauling Institute; the Pauling Papers in The Valley Library; the Linus Pauling Lectures in Chemistry; and the Ava Helen and Linus Pauling Memorial Lectureship for World Peace.

Philip Harding

Dr. Philip Harding became the second holder of the Linus Pauling Chair in 2007. He brings to this five-year position a wide variety of work experiences and connections, along with a strong interest in helping undergraduates in the School of Chemical, Biological, and Environmental Engineering consider the many career paths open to them.

A 1987 OSU chemical engineering alumnus, Dr. Harding received his master’s degree from the Institute of Paper Science and Technology in 1992 and his doctorate from University of Washington in 1997. He joined Hewlett-Packard and spent 10 years with the company, adding to his previous experiences in the oil and paper industries. Dr. Harding’s responsibilities at Hewlett-Packard covered the whole process of product development, from early research and development phases through post-release. He conducted research in life sciences, fuel cells, and low cost electronics, with stints in Singapore, Puerto Rico, and Ireland. Most recently he worked in strategic development for worldwide inkjet printhead research and development.

As Linus Pauling Chair, Dr. Harding focuses on helping upperclass students develop skills in communication, organization, project management, and leadership. In 2009, he received the "Most Inspirational Professor Award" from the OSU AIChE (American Institute of Chemical Engineers) student chapter.